Facial mask



Dec. 27, 1955 K. ELMHIRST FACIAL MASK Filed Sept. 10, 1954 u L2 LQ-,-

I INVENTOR. L'l KATHLEEN ELMHIRST the nose hole 13 FACIAL MASK Kathleen Elmhirst, Los Angeles, Calif. Application September 10, 1954, Serial No. 455,150 1 Claim. (Cl. 128-76) The present invention relates to masks used in the application of facial preparations.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved facial mask to support the facial muscles in a manner in which the wrinkles due to age, illness, and other causes are smoothed out and one which will hold but not fully absorb creams or liquid preparations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a facial mask which, when applied to the face, is relatively inelastic in a direction transverse to the common wrinkles which project laterally on each side of the eyes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mask which is relatively inelastic transversely to the common wrinkles which extend downwardly and outwardly on each side of the nose.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a mask of relatively thin woven material which is easily washable and which dries without appreciably having absorbed creams or liquids used on the face.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure l is a view of the facial mask of the present invention in place on a persons face and indicating by the double arrows the direction in which the material of the mask is inelastic and by the single arrows the direction in which the material of the mask is elastic; and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the mask in undeveloped condition also indicating by the arrows the elastic and inelastic characteristics of the material from which it is made, and also showing in dotted lines the developed view of the lower portion of the mask and similarly indicating the resultant elastic and inelastic characteristics as the mask is then formed.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts in both of the views, the mask of the present invention is seen to consist of a single piece 10 of lightweight fabric such as nylon tricot or the like and being substantially rectangular in shape with eye holes 11, ear holes 12, a hole for the nose 13, and a hole for the mouth 14.

Straps 15 are attached to the piece 10 at the upper edge thereof and straps 16 and 17 are connected along the sides the former substantially in a mid-cheek position and the latter being disposed on the lower end of the lower portion of the piece 10 in substantially a throat position.

The eye holes 11 are disposed on a line drawn transversely to the warp threads of the piece 10 with the ear holes 12 disposed so as to perpendicularly bisect said line, being intermediately disposed between the ear holes 12.

As seen in Figure l, a seam 18 joins two bias cut edges 19 and 20 as shown in Figure 2 which are cut on lines United States a n 7 y 2,7 28,339 Patented Dec. 27, -1 955 diverging from the lower edge of the nose hole 13 outwardly to points 21 on the lower end of the piece 10. The points 21 are spaced from and longitudinally arranged with respect to the inner edges 22 of each of the ear h'oles l2. The line drawn from the edge of the nose :hole 1 2 to each of these points 21 bisects the mouth hole 14 and the seam 18 formed on these lines when worn on a persons face as seen in Figure 1 becomes a median line following the natural cleft of the upper lip and of the chin.

As will be seen in Figure 1, the seam 18 is the only seam on the piece 10.

It has been found that no matter how soft the material used in a facial mask, any seam when the mask is drawn tightly will produce a line or a depression. In the present invention, the seam 1S enhances the effect of the mask by being disposed in the natural cleft of the upper lip and chin.

An important feature of the present invention is that the piece 10 is cut from material such as nylon tricot which is inelastic warp threads and elastic woof threads. In Figures 1 and 2, the double arrows indicate the direction in which the warp threads lie and the single arrows the direction in which the woof threads lie.

In applying the mask, the throat strap 17 is first drawn around the neck with the lower portion of the piece 10 drawn smoothly around the throat and upwardly over the chin. The nose is inserted in the nose hole 13 and the piece 10 adjusted with the eyes behind the eye holes 11 and the ears protruding through the ear holes 12. The upper portion of the piece 10 is then adjusted to the forehead as high as it will go and the strap 15 is wound around to hold the upper portion of the piece 10 tightly on the forehead. The mid-cheek strap 16 is then pulled on either side to stretch the mask tightly across the face and cheeks. Fingers are then inserted under the mask and the skin is pulled to flatten or smooth out any wrinkle under the mask into contact with the mask and especially those which radiate outwardly from each side of the eyes and which extend outwardly and downwardly from each side of the nose.

It will be seen that the mask as formed by the piece 10 with its particularly arranged warp and woof threads may be pulled tightly in the direction in which the warp threads lie and will be inelastic in that direction, not permitting the muscles to regain their wrinkled condition after they have once been smoothed out. The elastic woof threads permit the mask to be pulled tight upon the surface of the face and yet to allow the person wearing the mask substantial freedom of movement of the muscles as in talking, eating, smoking, and permitting the mask to be worn at night during the sleep of the person wearing the mask without being excessively uncomfortable.

While a single embodiment of the present invention has been here illustrated and described, it is believed that other embodiments may be made and practiced within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A facial mask comprising a single piece of light weight mamas on a line bisecting said mouth hole and extending from I outwardfrom said nose hole to the lower end of said piece at points spaced from and longitudinally arranged with respect to each of said ear holes, said piece being inelastic in a direction transverse to a line drawn through said eye holes and in a direction transverse to a line drawn through said ear and nose holes, and inelastic in a direction transverse to a line drawn from said nose and mouth holes outika'rdly and downw ardly to the lower end of said N piece whereby facial wrinkles extending laterally from each of the eyes and diagonally downward from the nose of a person may be smoothed by said piece with its warp threads transversely arranged with respect to said wrinkles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cocroft May 11, 1926 2,044,521 Weiland et a1 June 16, 1936 

